1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to card reader protection systems, and more particularly, to a devices, systems and method for detecting skimming devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Card readers are data input devices employed to read data from a card-shaped storage medium such as a plastic card with a magnetic stripe. Card readers may be employed, for example, as access control devices and at self-service terminals, for example, automated teller machines (ATMs), gas pumps, parking facilities, etc.
Conventional self-service terminals are frequently encountered functioning as an automated teller machine (ATM) or account statement printer. In order to operate said terminal, the user, or customer, requires a bank card that usually takes the form of a magnetic stripe card, which is read by a card reader, on which card data including personal customer and account data are stored. Unfortunately, manipulation at self-service terminals is being practiced to an increasing degree by third parties in order to illegally acquire these data.
To do this, third parties employ their own card reader, known as a skimming device, which are installed as unobtrusively as possible at the particular self-service terminal's card reader. The skimming device is positioned as directly as possible in front of the authentic card slot for the self-service terminal or replaces the actual card reader. When a customer inserts their bank card into the card reader of the self-service terminal, its magnetic stripe is also read by this illicit external card reader, whereby the third party acquires the card data, in particular the customer's account data, making it possible for the third party to produce an illegal copy of the bank card. If the third party is additionally successful in spying out the PIN associated with the card, they can easily withdraw money from the bank customer's account at automated teller machines (ATMs) using a counterfeit bank card and the PIN. In order to obtain the PIN information, it is possible, for example, to install a counterfeit keypad over the genuine keypad in order to acquire the keystrokes that have been made or to install a micro video camera that captures images of the customer entering a PIN via the original keypad.
Therefore, a need exists for devices, systems and methods for detecting the invasion of skimming devices used in conjunction with a card reader.